g PREMIER REAFFIRMS RESOLVE TO AVENGE EACH DROP OF BLOOD SHED BY ‘ THE ENEMY ’
g EMPHA SIZES INDIA CAN TAKE HUNDRED DECISIONS, BUT CAN ’T CHANGE THE REALITY
S ta f f R e p o R t
PRIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday declared that India had “committed a grave mistake last night by resorting to aggression under the delusion that Pakistan would back off but India would have to face the consequences of its actions, state-run media reported
In a televised address to the nation, the prime minister said “India forgets that Pakistani nation has the brave sons who always fought for the respect and defence of the motherland by shedding the last drop of their blood, Radio Pakistan reported He said the entire world witnessed that within few hours, their enemy though large in numbers was bowed down after Pakistan Air Force eagles shot down five Indian combat jets and reduced them to pile of fragments and ashes which was once considered
as their pride state broadcaster PTV News reported It (response) has the thunderous sound of squadron leader MM Alam that struck the enemy strongly, he observed The prime minister said the India s cowardly attack took lives of 26 innocent people while injuring 46 others including women and children He referred to funeral prayer of Shaheed Irtaza Abbas 7 years old who lost his life after hit by a splinter in his home where he was present with his mother and brother A tender flower withered away and attained shahadat,” he said, adding the nation paid tribute to shaheeds and their families and prayed for the recovery of the injured
The prime minister said that they had resolved that each drop of blood would be accounted for The timid enemy is attacking innocent people Pakistan has proved how to respond with
Militar y empowered to respond to India’s airstrikes ‘at time and manner of its choosing’
Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) has granted the armed forces full authority to respond to India s recent missile, air, and drone strikes, which targeted civilian areas in Pakistan, including cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir
The authorization allows Pakistan to strike back at the time, place, and manner of its choosing,” marking a significant escalation in the already tense situation
The attacks which took place on the night of May 6–7, 2025, were reportedly aimed at multiple locations across Pakistan including Sialkot Shakargarh Muridke Bahawalpur Kotli and Muzaf-
farabad The strikes resulted in the deaths of civilians including women and children and inflicted significant damage to civilian infrastructure, such as mosques and the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project The NSC’s statement condemned the airstrikes as unprovoked cowardly and unlawful acts of war and emphasized Pakistan s right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter The committee also highlighted India’s actions as a breach of international law particularly criticizing the targeting of civilian areas under the false claim of terrorist camps The statement added that the attacks had endangered commercial flights from Gulf countries, further escalating the situation
T T O G O
g SAYS TIMID ENEMY ATTACKED INNOCENT PEOPLE, BUT PAKISTAN PROVED HOW TO RESPOND WITH SOLID BLOW
g DECLARES NATION TOGETHER WITH VALIANT ARMED FORCES WOULD FACE DEFEAT THE ENEMY
31 Pakistanis mar tyred, 57 injured in Indian aggression: DG ISPR
S ta
Turkiye
people of Pakistan while appreciating
state-run media In the telephonic call, Premier Shehbaz conveyed his deep appreciation of
gam incident without providing any evidence India he further said did not respond to his offer of having a neutral and transparent international investigation into the incident and instead, chose the dangerous path of aggression and irresponsible State behavior President Erdogan shared that the Turkish Foreign Minister had spoken to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar earlier today and the two had discussed the current situation in detail He said that Turkiye supported deescalation of the situation and was ready to play its role as a committed friend of Pakistan He said that the Turkish nation was praying for the success of Pakistan s diplomatic initiatives President Erdogan says ready to play role as a committed friend of Pakistan
Turkiye s solidarity and support to Pakistan, following India s unprovoked act of aggression He condemned, in the strongest possible terms India’s missile strikes that led to the martyrdom of 31 innocent civilians including women and children according to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) He shared that India s cowardly attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity had gravely endangered peace and stability in the South Asia region which was unacceptable said a statement issued by the Prime Minister House on Wednesday President Erdogan expressed heartfelt condolences over the loss of precious lives of Pakistani citizens and reaffirmed Turkiye’s solidarity with the people of Pakistan While reaffirming Pakistan s commitment to peace in the region, the Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan s determination to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full vigor and force The Prime Minister shared that Pakistan categorically rejected India s efforts to falsely implicate Pakistan in the Pahal-
FO summons Indian diplomat over deadly strikes
R e p o R t Pakistan on Wednesday summoned the Indian Chargé d Affaires to formally protest the unprovoked missile strikes carried out by Indian forces across multiple locations in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir which resulted in civilian casualties including women and children In a statement the Foreign Office said the Indian diplomat was handed a strong demarche, condemning the attacks as a blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty “Such actions are in contravention of the UN Charter international law and established norms governing inter-state relations the spokesperson said Pakistan rejected India s justifications for the strikes as baseless and warned that such reckless military behavior risked further destabilizing the region The Foreign Office emphasized that peace and stability in South Asia cannot be ensured if such provocative actions go unchecked
Any fur ther aggression to be met with strong, decisive retaliation, Dar war ns India
ISLAMABAD N e w S D e S k
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
Ishaq Dar on Wednesday warned India that any future act of aggression would face a strong and decisive retaliation following an unprovoked missile attack on Pakistani territory late Tuesday night Addressing the National Assembly, Dar condemned the Indian strike, calling it a “cowardly act” under the false pretext of the Pahalgam incident He praised the Pakistan Air Force for its measured and disciplined response and said that Islamabad had made its position clear to the international community
“India has already received a reply But if it takes another step, the response will be
harsher brick for stone Dar said drawing strong applause from the House He emphasized that Pakistan had taken a principled stance on the Pahalgam incident, offering full cooperation and investigation assistance a gesture that was welcomed by several countries We briefed over 40 foreign ambassadors and diplomats at the Foreign Office and made it clear: Pakistan will not be the one to initiate aggression, he said Dar revealed that India launched 24 missile strikes on six sites in Pakistan, including locations in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir resulting in the martyrdom of 26 civilians and injuries to dozens more
One would expect the Indian leadership, both civil and military, to feel embarrassed after the downing of at least five Indian fighters, including three of its much-vaunted state-of-the-art Rafales which at Rs 45 billion apiece would cost Rs 145 billion The loss is bad enough for the meaning of these downings was that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unable to fil fill his fantasies of hitting Pakistan at will The Indian response to the Pahalgam attack had taken matter a notch higher, as the Indian attack included airstrikes at targets squarely on Pakistani soil, and far from the Linw of Control, so there was no chance of a mistake Indian targeting seemed to revive the old accusation it had levied against the Lashkar-i-Taiba and revived memories on Lashkar chief Prof Muhammad Saeed
However, perhaps the most serious implication for India was that it was shown that it could not rely on its air force A surgical strike was to have been delivered by air but instead the PAF not only detected the intrusion but rushed its own planes to the spot and downed the intruders Both sides used missiles with sufficient range to hit targets across the border The most immediate lesson is that Indian planes cannot provide the command of the air, or even the air superiority, that it needs to provide Indian ground forces for them to launch a successful attack, or even a successful defence This is apart from the effects on the morale of the entire Indian armed forces This also belies the impression that Pakistan had to go nuclear because it had fallen so far behind India in conventional means that it needed some means to redress the balance
Apart from the immediate response from the PAF, there was also a meeting of the National Security Committee where the armed forces were all given a free hand in taking action This is in exercise of the country’s right under the UN Charter to undertake selfdefence, not just in reply to the killing of its civilian citizens, but also the violation of the Indus Waters Treaty that India has committed by stopping inflows from the Chenab At the moment, both sides seem to be trying to stay within the limits of international law Before that restraint is gone before there is any further escalation the international community must step in
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi
Editor
Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
L i n e o f f i r e
Dr M rahiM Nasar
U R knowledge ideas and thoughts are all
Osocial constructs They are constructed through social interactions practices and experiences in the daily social life of the people French philosopher Jacques Derrida argued that all human thoughts, beliefs, feelings, emotions and patterns of cultures which are shaped and constructed through social interactions and practices within a society become outdated and obsolete; so they need to be updated Contextually he coined the concept of Deconstruction in 1967, which signifies that all socially constructed knowledge, ideas, socio-cultural symbols and practices are not equally beneficial for the smooth functioning of society many of them proving otherwise; destroying society causing more ignorance backwardness and keeping social life in the regressive inertia Thus they need to be deconstructed to reconstruct the new and updated thoughts The concept of deconstruction is in line with the doctrine of post-modernism, criticizing all those conservative ideas and practices which are no more fit and suited in the modern rational scientific and technological settings The logical move of deconstructionists has caused dissonance among the people especially in developing countries However, on the other hand it has paved the way for a rational, real and progressive lifestyle For example in our society a number of sociocultural proverbs (constructs) are very common and frequently shared and acted upon The people take these constructs for granted without thinking logically about whether they are real and meeting the needs of the existing world For instance, in our society it is a very common dictum that no one dies of hunger Thus we reproduce children; but the UN argues that everyday around 25000 people die of hunger globally similarly more than 20 000 people commit suicide per annum in Pakistan and the biggest reason behind this is starvation and poverty
The fantasy rests in the definition of a lay-man and the experts Additionally, another historical construct in our society mentioned unthoughtfully on the basis of gender inequality is that the women are more irrational and need to be avoided to consult in familial and other social affairs However in reality women are more capable and have greater potential to handle the issues in a more sophisticated and harmonious way Research studies indicate that women have outperformed the men in many fields, in education achievements especially Further religiously in our society the people are more often found saying that they feel fear only from
I n t e r n a l v i o l e n c e t h at m u s t n o t b e l e f t t o b e e x p l o i t e d
mier Sharif and request contingency measures to contain the deteriorating state of affairs in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The unprecedented hijacking of a train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar along with frequent suicide bombings represent the growing boldness of a local terrorist outfit that gained international coverage Although the superiority of our armed forces resulted in a successful operation, the length of this operation and the element of surprise left many scratching their heads regarding the complexity and planning involved in hijacking the Jaffar Express train The insensitivity of certain members of the polity towards the martyrdom of people aboard Jaffar Express and tacit support to the cause of the Baluchistan Liberation Army signals the vulgar polarisation that has scorched the provinces of Pakistan The individuals serving the cause of defending against the relentless onslaught of armed secession are not only derided for political affairs but are condemned for the very duties they perform Warring factions of the TTP and IS(K) fight to establish their own fiefdoms within KPK It seems that the ever-changing policy concerning the ‘Afghan Problem’ has finally bore fruit (poisonous as ever) Those sitting in Kabul now deliver precious resources and training to troublesome militants fighting on the Western frontiers of Pakistan at the behest of their masters sitting towards the East of Pakistan
Social constructs need to be deconstructed
S o c i a l c o n s t r u c t s c a n b e h a r m f u l
the supernatural God, but in reality this is completely fabricated They feel fear fairly from the public, camera video police and so on If these are present then no one can dare to steal commit a crime take a bribe or do corruption or show dishonesty However in the absence of these things everything is considered lawful, even though the Almighty is present everywhere
Likewise, another very famous social construct prevailing in the tribal societies is that tribalism is a blessing in terms of handling social issues; but it is actually a curse which has caused threat to social cohesion change and development instead of being a blessing if analyzed critically and academically Moreover the joint family system and cousin marriages are practised over here passionately, and perceived as having socio-cultural sanctification but these practices and concepts are obsolete universally and rejected with a number of socio-medical factual research studies and data and the new trends are replacing their space In addition to this the traditional image of the elderly being more aware and experienced, is a deep rooted formal norm, is rationally no more acceptable now, because in the modern scientific nd logical era the youth are more learned, educated and aware enough to decide for the betterment of family and society In the same way a very frequent shared social construct is that people are found blaming their fate more often for lower achievements or failures However, that is not true, it is just their laziness and avoidance of their assigned responsibilities The less accountable share of fate is multiplied to create justification for their laziness The one who works hard can find his or her destiny The above social constructs are believed and practised in our daily life passionately and felt by everyone Nevertheless, there are many other social constructs which are in vogue in our social settings, expressed and practiced in the daily routine The peo-
ple act upon them unconsciously, even though they bear no fruit at all Many constructs
breach of international law) they have yet to decide on a kinetic course of action The dilemma lies in the status of the Indian state as an emerging global power, whereby any misstep or misadventure may result in flak from the international community The situation is further complicated by recent engagements of Indian intelligence agencies in covert escapades within international jurisdictions (including those on Pakistani soil) The escalation towards full blown conflict between Pakistani and Indian armed forces comes at a time of internal strife caused by secessionist and terrorist groups operating within Baluchistan and KPK While precious lives
c h a n g e t h e c o n s e r va t i v e a n d
r e g r e s s i v e m i n d s e t s , a n d t h i s i s t h e o n ly w ay o f g e t t i n g r i d o f
ex t r e m i s m , i n t o l e r a n c e a n d m ov i n g p a r a l l e l i n t h e r a c e w i t h t h e
i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m mu n i t y a s a n a t i o n .
One wonders how the rules of the game did not change much earlier when legitimate movements for greater rights across Baluchistan and KPK were met with unwarranted oppression, such that the local populations of these provinces have grown bitter with hate and discord Since the federal government has taken on the herculean task of fixing Pakistan it may consider engaging the legitimate concerns of the Baluch and Pakhtun citizens rather than sidelining and marginalising them
The blaze of discontent and anger has also spread to the province of Sindh due to the canal projects that are being incubated under the patronage of the Punjab government to facilitate corporate farming Many expressed a sigh of relief when the project was suspended to deliberate the matter at the Council of Common Interests For a moment it appeared that the federal government had resolved to draw lines of fire along every border of each province and frontier Yet saner heads prevailed or were rather made to prevail in the face of province-wide protests and demonstrations that had effectively choked trade and transit
It may be prudent for the federal government and the armed forces to direct their energies towards developing a strategy to contain the Indian threat and capitalise on positive optics to win support from domestic opposing factions The notion of territorial sovereignty must stand absolute and the federal government must navigate tensions through diplomatic means internally, while preparing itself for any unprovoked aggression from our dear neighbours in the East
The writer is a lawyer - I graduated with an LLB from the London School of Economics in 2021 and currently training as a solicitor of England and Wales
It may be prudent for the federal government and the armed forces to direct their energies towards developing a strategy to contain the Indian threat and capitalise on positive optics to win suppor t from domestic opposing factions The notion of territorial sovereignty must stand absolute , and the federal government must navigate tensions through diplomatic means internally, while preparing itself for any unprovoked aggression from our dear neighbours in the East.
Testing patience
December 2022, but many doctors and laboratories continue to use these unreliable tests Despite repeated attempts to attract the attention of the authorities the SHCC and district health authorities have failed to enforce the ban Besides, the provincial Health and Population Welfare Department has failed to establish proper laws for pathological laboratories This regulatory failure is a direct threat to public health According to health regulations only blood culture and sensitivity (CS) test is the validated tool in the diagnosis of typhoid fever The continued reliance on outdated tests has led to frequent misdiagnosis and unnecessary antibiotic usage, contributing to the alarming rise of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid
This is an alarming situation involving malpractice fake reports and poor command and control If such reckless practices continue, we may soon face a crisis where no treatment options would be available anymore The relevant authorities in Sindh should take a strict action against those violating the ban DR ABDUL QADEER MEMON NAUSHAHRO FEROZE
Charsadda’s storm of loss
W H I L E there has been much media focus on Islamabad after the recent ‘freak’ hailstorm I would like to highlight Charsadda’s plight which, too, received hailstorm that was as freak as it was in Islamabad The only exception is that the calamity proved more devastating for the people of Charsadda
The recent deluge of heavy rain and hailstorm that ravaged Zaim in Charsadda district has left a trail of devastation, particularly for the agrarian community Fields that once promised sustenance and economic stability are now scenes of ruin, with standing crops of tobacco, wheat, vegetables, and other vital produce completely obliterated
This natural calamity has dealt a rather severe blow to the hardworking local farmers who now face the grim reality of substantial financial losses For these agriculturalists, their fields are not merely plots of land; they are the foundation of their livelihoods Their entire economic cycle revolves around the successful cultivation and sale of their harvests
Tragically many operate on tight margins often resorting to borrowing for essential inputs, like fertilisers and pesticides, with the expectation of re-paying
Faateh Nasir
Trump’s 100-Day failures
tions like
and
prices
$1 98
citing sources These figures appear to be cherry-picked or unverified Economists argue that his tariffs and abrupt economic policies have contributed more to instability than recovery His promise to bring prices down on day one remains largely unmet and when challenged with facts, Trump brushed them aside with: You don t know that Trump’s trade war rhetoric ignored the plight of small businesses that rely on affordable imports These businesses once thriving on a global supply model now face extinction due to rising costs When pressed about their concerns, Trump doubled down: I could ve had an easy time, but then the country would have imploded ” Despite his claim that the trade deficit has shrunk rapidly he offered no supporting data nor did he acknowledge how tariffs have disrupted long-term commercial planning and manufacturing His handling of the economy continues to prioritize short-term populist applause over sustainable economic strategy On immigration, Trump claimed illegal crossings had “plummeted 99 9 percent ” He painted a picture of a country overrun by criminals asserting that 21 million undocumented people had entered the USA Again no data was provided to support this number When asked if deportees were given legal hearings, Trump vacillated He questioned the feasibility of 21 million hearings, brushing aside due process rights guaranteed under US law His administration even deported Kilmar Brego Garcia a Salvadoran man under legal protection prompting a Supreme Court ruling to return him Trump dismissed the judgment as a mistake by an “incompetent” judge and refused to commit to complying with the order He further defended mass deportations to
El Salvador despite many deportees lacking criminal records When reminded of Joe Rogan’s criticism that the USA risks becoming monstrous while fighting monsters Trump nodded but quickly returned to his narrative of criminal invasions Due process to him seems secondary to political theatre Trump referred to the war in Ukraine as Biden s war, repeatedly claiming that it would never have happened under his watch He described a symbolic meeting with President Zelensky at Saint Peter ’s Basilica suggesting it offered hope Yet in the same breath he speculated that Putin might be tapping me along contradicting his earlier assertion that Putin wanted peace
He refused to confirm whether the USA would continue military aid to Ukraine, calling it “a big fat secret ” This ambiguity risks US credibility and complicates alliance diplomacy Asked whether he trusts Putin Trump deflected: I don t trust a lot of people I don t trust you His praise of Putin s respect for him raises further doubts about Trump s geopolitical judgment
Trump was also asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who was under scrutiny for discussing classified operations on Signal Trump described him as smart and highly educated but when asked if he had full confidence in him, replied, I don t have 100 percent confidence in anything This hedging adds to growing concerns about the competence and cohesion of Trump’s second-term cabinet He continued to defend DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) which has cut billions in what Trump calls wasteful spending Yet these cuts affected critical institutions such as the nIH, global health programs, and foreign aid Trump celebrated saving $150 billion but ignored the humanitarian and research setbacks He even admit-
WH E n America annexed the Philippines in 1898 it was in some respects replicating its conquest of Indian territory, Wilford argues: forcible relocation, interrogation under torture, indiscriminate slaughter of unarmed populations; but the US also took over the existing Spanish-colonial institutions police and prison networks
Wilford argues that there were structural reasons why the CIA played a spearhead role in what he calls America s covert empire His central thesis is that, setting out to manage the new states emerging from European colonial rule Washington was constrained both by fear of provoking a nuclear war with Moscow and by popular American anti-colonialism; the turn to covert action using the CIA to help prop up pro-US regimes and crush left-sovereigntist forces was part of the solution
The field officers, generally operating under cover of some diplomatic position at the US Embassy, were trained to recruit networks of local agents, targeting natives with access to valuable information a junior government minister or army officer for assessment by CIA hqrs The challenge was to identify the potential agent s vulnerability then work out how to exploit it while remaining alert to the possibility that the recruit might be an enemy plant; money, blackmail, ideological conviction or psychological entanglement were the main tactics listed in the CIA training manual Recruitment was ‘the most sensitive step’ Once targets had agreed to supply information in exchange for money or other inducement they would be tested then trained in spy craft and handled ideally over many years until the time came for termination Emotional involvement with agents was an occupational hazard for field officers; according to Wilford, some likened the relationship to sexual conquest; others, to a marriage The political role of the CIA station chief was more directly imperial or perhaps in nkrumah s term neocolonial ; that of an informal pro-consul Congo station chief Larry Devlin breakfasted daily with Mobutu the venal dictator, while using the country as a staging post for covert operations in Angola, South Africa and elsewhere; the CIA supplied the tip-off that sent Mandela to prison for 27 years Jordan station chief Jack O’Connell became a close confidant of the young King Hussein In Mexico City the CIA s Winston Scott lubricated the special relationship with the PRI with cash and camaraderie , buying new cars for ministers girlfriends In the Philippines, operative Edward Lansdale channelled CIA dollars into a presidential run for the anti-communist defence chief Ramon Magsaysay, writing his speeches and procuring a catchy radio jingle ‘Mambo Magsaysay The result was a landslide hailed by a CIAorchestrated campaign in the US media Ten years later Lansdale was propping up the ngo nhu Diem regime in South Vietnam Wilford provides a memorable picture of the CIA man vacationing at a beach resort near Saigon with his Filipina mistress, the President, Diem’s brother nhu and the notorious Madame nhu: ‘the women splashed about in the waves while the American played
CIA Congo station chief Larr y D evlin breakfasted daily with Mobutu, the venal dic tator, while using the countr y as a staging post for cover t operations in Angola, S outh Afric a and elsewhere
In Cairo, Kermit ‘Kim’ Roosevelt, draf ted an early memo for Nasser and the Free O fficers, whom he’d helped to bring to power, titled ‘Notes on How to B e the Prime M inister of Egypt ’
The CIA supplied the tip - off that sent Mandela to prison for 27 years
tration Department at Michigan State University to turn local guard units into professional death squads capable of terrorizing rural communities and recruiting their own networks of informers Across Latin America, the Middle East, Central Africa and Southeast Asia, the CIA supplied intelligence on ‘communist suspects’ to local dictatorships assisting them with wire-tapping and surveillance technology Though Wilford does not explore the links he notes that Mossad served as a regional surrogate for the Agency s counter-insurgency work, helping to train political police for Haile Selassie and Savak torturers for the Shah The corollary of propping up pro-American regimes was the CIA-orchestrated coup to overthrow governments Mosaddeq in Iran Arbenz in Guatemala that put national-popular projects like oil nationalization or land reform ahead of US interests The CIA: An Imperial History gives a full-dress account of Kim Roosevelt s machinations in Iran in the summer of 1953: paying one mob to play the part of communist rioters so as to mobilize another as an Islamist counter-demonstration, while a loyal American press portrayed the country as ‘dangerously unstable’ A similar playbook was deployed in Guatemala
The debacle of the Agency-backed Bay of Pigs assault on Castro s government caused the first domestic crack in the covert-imperial carapace The CIA was now openly named and blamed in books like C Wright Mills s Listen, Yankee (1960) The cloak of clandestinity was whipped away as pro-Cuba demonstrators (W E B Du Bois Maya Angelou) staged vigils outside its new headquarters in Langley VA In Vietnam the CIA s Phoenix Program was a bloodbath of torture and assassination ; its counter-insurgency needed ever greater military backup, morphing into a full-blown war In 1967, Ramparts magazine published a series of CIA exposés In the early 1970s, ‘anti-imperialism entered the mainstream’ For example the Washington Post published the Pentagon Papers Establishment criticism peaked with the Senate s Church Committee which imposed a series of checks on the Agency including a (short-lived) ban on assassinations We do not need a regiment of cloak-and-dagger men , thundered Senator Church, earning their promotions by planning new exploits throughout the world ’
These proscriptions would not stop Operation Condor the clandestine CIA-backed network responsible for the torture and disappearance of Latin American leftists which saw student leaders and trade unionists thrown from military helicopters over the Southern Cone nor would they deter Carter and Brzezinski from dispatching CIA trainers, funds and weaponry to the Hindu Kush Rather, increased media and congressional oversight of the Agency led to an outsourcing of ‘covert-imperial’ operations as with the Reagan Administration s re-routed funding for anti-communist Contra militias to overthrow the Sandinista government in nicaragua overseen by the shady figure of Col Oliver north, a member of the national Security Council Reagan appointed a hardline Director of Central Intelligence, Bill Casey, who revamped the CIA’s discred-
In Mexico Cit y, the CIA’s Winston Scott lubricated the special relationship with ‘cash and camaraderie’, buying new cars for ministers’ girlfriends
Its funding soared to some $500 billion under B ush and an estimated $640 billion under O bama
Latin American leftists were thrown from militar y helicopters
ited front operations creating new organs such as the national Endowment for Democracy and the Asia Foundation Via the Vatican, funds were channelled to trade-union leader Lech Walesa and Church-backed Solidarnosč groups in Poland; not, of course, to trade unionist Lula da Silva and liberation-theology networks in Brazil America s Cold War victory led to a recalibration of support for such CIA favourites as Mobutu and Suharto; once pillars of the Free World now decried as hoary dictators unwilling to move with the times Plagued by budget cuts and a high turnover of directors five in seven years Langley began a cautious and partial declassification of its files allowing for a preliminary evaluation On one estimate that of Lindsey O’Rourke’s Covert Regime Change (2018) only 39 per cent of covert operations had successful outcomes The intelligence record was spotty: the CIA had failed to predict the Soviet bomb, the Chinese Revolution, the Korean War, the Cuban missile crisis, the Iranian Revolution or the disintegration of the USSR; it would miss 9/11, the Arab Spring and October 7 Against the charge-sheet the spymasters could point to their roles in the successful postwar stabilization of Italy and Japan under the CIA-funded Christian Democrats and lDP; in the faltering of radical Arab nationalism and strengthening of police regimes that made the Middle East safe for Israel; in the elimination of the Indonesian Communist Party and strengthening of conservative rule in Thailand and the Philippines weighed against the admitted defeats in Vietnam Cambodia and Laos; if Cuba was lost Latin America had been saved its dictatorships carefully dismantled; and the Soviet Bloc had fallen to the free market
The CIA: An Imperial History has less to say about the remaking of US intelligence after 9/11, though an epilogue considers the CIA’s changing fortunes during the ‘global war on terror ’ In formal bureaucratic terms the Agency was demoted by the 9/11 Commission recommendations; its chief no longer the overall Director of Central Intelligence but merely head of the CIA, under a new Director of national Intelligence (DnI) charged with overseeing a clutch of other clandestine bodies Yet its funding soared to some $500 billion under Bush and an estimated $640 billion under Obama while with the vast expansion of digital surveillance and satellite data techint established a clear predominance over humint
The anti-colonialism of Wilford s CIA cast was in the end self-consciously imperial, with the negation of European empires understood as a boon for American power Such was the case for Kim Roosevelt’s Arabism, even at its sympathetic height Before 1955 nasser was his necessary leader a potential aide to American interests as understood in Washington and duly lauded in Time magazine as a dedicated soldier with the
QaMar Bashir
French delegation visits ZTBL HQ
Urgent reforms needed as Thalassemia becomes a silent epidemic in Pakistan: ChildLife Foundation
KARACHI
Thalassemia has become a silent epidemic in Pakistan, with an estimated 100 000 children suffering from thalassemia major a preventable but life-threatening blood disorder Each year 5 000 to 9 000 children are born with the condition primarily due to low public awareness cultural practices such as cousin marriages, and the lack of universal premarital screening Despite over 10 million Pakistanis carrying the thalassemia gene, premarital screening remains non-mandatory and widespread stigma continues to hinder progress On World Thalassemia Day 2025 th emed Together for Thalassemia: Uniting Communities Prioritizing
terrestrial backbone that spans the entire country In addition to connecting cities and communities through Cybernet’s digital highways the new backbone will also support cross-border transit services for carriers and internet service providers in Central Asia By delivering scalable, high-capacity services at globally competitive rates, this initiative will ultimately accelerate Pakistan s digital transformation and foster regional connectivity By enhancing our network with cutting-edge technology, we re able to keep pace with our customers rapidly evolving connectivity needs and deliver a superior end-user experience Nokia is a trusted technology leader with the expertise and innovation to support our modernization goals
surging
demands As Cybernet prepares to modernize its
work infrastructure Nokia is proud to be helping transform Pakistan s connectivity landscape with a 1 2T backbone, seamlessly interconnecting data centers, powering government networks, and delivering direct-to-home services ” said James Watt Senior Vice President and General Manager Optical Networks at Nokia
Mr Cemal Sangu, Consul General of the Republic of Turkiye said that distinguished Turkish war ship TCG Büyükada on the occasion of her goodness port visit to the historic and vibrant city of Karachi This visit is yet another testament to the enduring, close and brotherly relations between Türkiye and Pakistan two brotherly nations bound by a deep-rooted brotherhood shared values and strategic partnership anchored in centuries-old historical and cultural ties he was addressing on board reception visiting on TCG, BUYUKDA (F - 512) hosted by the Ambassador Dr Irfan MEZIROGLU, and Commanding officer Lt Cdr, Anil BILGIN It was attended by Senator Nisar
Ahmed Khuhro Senator Nasrin Jalil Federal State Minister Fahad Haroon Sindh Ministers Azra Pachecho
Makhdoom Mehboob uz Zaman, Syed
Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Mohammed Iqbal
Memon, Zubair Motiwala,Governor Advisor Tariq Mustafa Khan Prince Jam
Saify Kalim Farooqui Majyid Aziz
Athar Iqbal Humza Y Tabani Fazal
Karim Dadabhoy Pervez Madraswala
Farooq Afzal, Mirza Ishtiaq Baig,DIG Maqsood Memon, and high officials of Pakistan Navy Turkiye
Rafales one Su-30 and one MiG-29 as well as three drones in separate incidents in Kotli, Barnala, and Shakargarh
Seven-year-old son of army officer killed in Indian attack as Pakistan vows response MUZAFFARABAD N e w S D e S k A seven-year-old boy, Irtaza Abbas Turi, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Zaheer Abbas Turi of the Pakistan Army, was martyred during a deadly night of Indian airstrikes and shelling that targeted multiple civilian areas across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Punjab According to official reports Indian forces carried out unprovoked missile drone and artillery strikes along the Line of Control (LoC) during the night of May 6–7 The attacks resulted in the tragic death of the young child and marked one of the deadliest violations in recent months In a press briefing, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that 26 civilians had been killed and 46 others injured in the Indian strikes The targeted areas included Muzaffarabad Kotli, Muridke, and Ahmedpur Sharqia The military spokesperson stated that Pakistan s armed forces responded promptly and decisively, shooting down five Indian fighter jets and one drone “India’s misunderstanding will be corrected ” he warned asserting that future provocations would be met with full force Meanwhile the National Security Committee (NSC) convened on Wednesday and authorised Pakistan s armed forces to carry out corresponding actions in response to what it termed “unprovoked, cowardly, and unlawful acts of war ” The forum highlighted that India’s aggression endangered civilian lives and regional aviation including commercial airliners from friendly Gulf nations The Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project was also reportedly targeted in violation of international norms The NSC reaffirmed Pakistan s right to self-de-
Aviation to procure 26 additional Rafale jets for its navy Pakistan has dismissed Indian media claims of having damaged any Pakistani aircraft as fabricated, with PTV confirming that no Pakistan Air Force jets were hit in the exchange Rafale maker’s shares plunge as Pakistan downs 3 out of 5 Indian jets,
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Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated on Wednesday that the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan could be resolved if India steps down His remarks followed Indian missile strikes on nine terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir carried out in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Asif emphasized that Pakistan had only responded to India’s actions and was not the aggressor He noted “This has been initiated by India If India is ready to back down we will definitely wrap up this tension He further added, As long as we are under attack, under fire, we have to respond We have to defend ourselves But if India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension ”
key terrorist sites including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke These sites were chosen for their links to groups responsible for sponsoring terrorism
in India
This escalation followed the deadly attack in Pahalgam on April 22 which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen India s Ministry of Defence labeled the attacks barbaric and justified the military strikes as retaliation
A portion of Bilal Mosque is seen after it was hit by an Indian
the entire Pakistani nation are high ” He added, “We will never allow the enemy to succeed in their nefarious goals ” The Pakistani government has made it clear that it will continue to defend itself as long as the attacks persist However, Asif s comments suggest that Pakistan is open to de-escalating the situation, should India choose to de-escalate first The developments have heightened the already
